Body Hardware

Nolathane body hardware kits supply the body mount bolts, cab mount bolts, washers, retainers and sleeves that clamp the body or cab to the frame through the body mount bushings. This body mount hardware suits body-on-frame trucks, pickups and SUVs. It?s designed to be fitted alongside new body mount bushings, so the whole mount is renewed at once rather than only half the job.

By the time body mount bushings need replacing, the original hardware has usually spent years exposed to water, road salt and grit. Bolts rust, stretch and seize, and washers corrode thin. Refitting that old hardware with new bushings is one of the most common reasons a cab still moves after a body mount job. A fresh body mount hardware kit makes sure the new bushings are clamped the way they were designed to be. Each listing shows the kit contents.

Why Body Mount Hardware Matters

On a body-on-frame vehicle, the body or cab doesn?t bolt directly to the frame. It sits on a series of body mount bushings, usually between six and ten of them, placed along the frame rails and at the radiator support. A bolt passes through each bushing and threads into a nut in the body or the frame. That bolt is what sets the clamp load on the bushing.

The clamp load needs to be right. Too little, and the body is free to move on the frame. You?ll hear clunks and squeaks over bumps, the cab may rock when you accelerate or brake, and the body can shift out of alignment with the frame over time. Too much, and the bushing is crushed. A crushed bushing can?t absorb vibration, so road noise and harshness come straight through to the cabin, and the bushing wears out early.

Old hardware makes both problems more likely. A bolt that has stretched or thinned from corrosion can?t hold its torque, so the clamp load falls away after a few hundred miles. A bolt of the wrong length may bottom out before it clamps the bushing, or leave too little thread engaged to hold safely. The hardware is a small part of the mount, but it decides whether the bushings can do their job.

What a Body Mount Hardware Kit Includes

A body mount hardware kit includes the bolts, washers, retainers and sleeves needed to fit a set of body mount bushings. Each listing shows the contents and quantity.

Each part has a specific role:

• Bolts clamp the mount together and thread into the cage nut or frame nut. They need the right length, thread size and strength for the position.
• Washers and retainers sit at the top and bottom of each mount. They spread the clamp load evenly across the face of the bushing, so it compresses evenly rather than being pinched in one spot.
• Sleeves pass through the center of the bushing. They set exactly how far the bushing can be compressed, so the bolt clamps against the metal sleeve rather than crushing the bushing.

Because the parts work as a system, it?s best to replace them together. Mixing old washers or sleeves with new bolts can leave a mount clamped unevenly.

Signs Your Body Mount Bolts Need Replacing

Inspect the hardware whenever you replace body mount bushings, and whenever you have the vehicle on a lift. Look for:

• Heavy rust, or a bolt shank that has thinned, or necked, from corrosion
• Stripped or rounded bolt heads that a wrench can no longer grip properly
• Bolts that won?t hold their torque, which suggests the bolt has stretched or the threads are damaged
• A cab that still moves on the frame after new bushings have been fitted
• Broken cage nuts, or cage nuts that spin when you turn the bolt
• Washers that have rusted thin or dished out of shape

If any of these show up, replace the hardware along with the bushings. Reusing a compromised bolt saves very little and can undo the whole job.

Seized Bolts and Cage Nuts

Body mount bolts sit under the vehicle in one of the harshest spots on it, so seized bolts are common, especially on older trucks and vehicles from areas that use road salt.

Start by soaking each bolt with penetrating oil and giving it time to work. Overnight is better than a few minutes. Tapping the bolt head can help the oil work into the threads. If the bolt still won?t move, heat can break the corrosion. Take great care with heat, because fuel lines, brake lines, wiring, the fuel tank and the body mount bushings themselves are all close by. Keep a fire extinguisher at hand and shield anything nearby that could be damaged.

Many body mount bolts thread into a cage nut, also called a captive nut. The nut sits loose inside a small metal cage welded inside the body or frame, which holds it in place so you can tighten the bolt from one side. Over time, the cage can rust through. When it does, the nut spins with the bolt, and the bolt can?t be tightened or removed.

There are several ways to deal with a spinning cage nut, depending on the vehicle and how much access there is:

• Cut a small access hole near the nut, hold the nut with a wrench, and seal the hole afterward
• Fit a cage nut repair kit, which replaces the broken cage with a new captive nut
• Weld a new nut or plate in place where the original cage has rotted away

Repairs like these are structural, so they?re best done by a professional.

Fitting Hardware With New Body Mount Bushings

• Work on one side, or a few mounts at a time, so the body stays aligned on the frame and the holes line up when you refit the bolts
• Support the body safely with a jack and a block of wood as you raise it off the mounts, and never place your hands between the body and frame
• Check for anything that could be stretched, such as brake lines, wiring, the steering shaft or the radiator hoses, before lifting the body
• Fit the new bushings and sleeves in the correct order and orientation
• Start every bolt by hand, so you don?t cross-thread the cage nuts
• Torque the bolts to specification, without over-compressing the bushings
• Re-check the torque after the first few hundred miles, because new bushings settle slightly as they bed in

Body mounts are structural parts, so qualified fitting is recommended.

Body Lifts and Hardware Length

A body lift raises the body off the frame with spacers, which gives room for larger tires without changing the suspension. Because the spacers add height to every mount, the bolts need to be longer than standard. Fitting standard-length bolts to a lifted body leaves too little thread engaged, and the mount can?t be clamped safely.

Check the listing to see whether a kit suits a stock-height body or a lifted one. Body lift kits themselves are covered on the Leveling Kits page.

Limitations and Trade-Offs

• New hardware can?t fix rusted frame outriggers or body mount brackets. Those need repair first.
• A spinning cage nut may need repair before a new bolt will hold.
• The hardware must match the bushing kit and the vehicle?s lift height.
• Automotive body bolts for fenders, bumpers and panels are a different part. This range is for body and cab mounts only.

Compliance and Insurance

Make sure your vehicle meets the inspection requirements of the state where it?s registered, including any rules on body lifts. Tell your insurance company about any modifications.

Warranty and Support

Nolathane body mount hardware is backed by Nolathane?s warranty. If you need help matching the hardware to your body mount bushings, our local support team can help.

Shop Body Hardware

Body hardware is listed in our universal auto parts selection.

Find the right body mount hardware kit for your truck, pickup or SUV, and order online with fast shipping on in-stock items. Every kit is covered by our fitment guarantee, and easy returns apply if anything isn?t right.